Monday, November 1, 2010

There's been quite a lull in the availability of leeches in the news in recent months, but they have once again reared their awesome anecdotal heads in the story of famed blind tenor Andrea Bocelli.

I had the honor of an impromptu visit from Bocelli a few years back. He was in New York performing and was brought by my office in the course of a behind the scenes tour. Funny, though I knew of his work and stunning range of voice, it had escaped me that he is blind. Regardless, while his companion showed a keen interest in our wormy jars of live bloodsuckers, Mr. Bocelli expressed a revulsion (however mild) that I thought was a bit odd.

Now I get it.

A recent news article reveals that doctors tried to treat Bocelli's congenital blindness with leeches when he was about 12 years old. To no avail of course.